An Egyptian Murder
by paulina
Summary: What if Rick hadn't joined the legion? A fic from the POV of my own character. There will be a second chapter later on.
1. Default Chapter

1 Paulina Bolinski  
  
4th period  
  
April 17, 2001  
  
1.1 Chapter 1 ~ The Beginning  
  
1991 BCE, in Ancient Egypt:  
  
The great palace at Men- Nefer was draped in darkness on the last night I was alive. I, Princess Naunakht, saw the great disk of the sun be swallowed once more by Nut, the goddess of night as I sat in my chamber. The city was already covered in the darkness that comes with night, and now the shadows entered my room. With the shadows came cold, which wormed its way across the marble floor and into where I sat, making me shiver in my thin white linen dress. For a few moments, everything was dark. The only lights in that terrifying blackness were the flickering oil lamps I saw from my window. Then, a pale light chased the shadows away. A full milky moon rose into the sky. Activities resumed once more.  
  
That night, for once, there was no banquet. My father, Pharaoh Amenemhat, was at our southern border at Buhen with the famed Egyptian troops, building a fortress to keep those crazy Nubians away from Egypt. My mother, the queen, acted as regent in Pharaoh's place.  
  
Shaking with the cold that stayed when the shadowy darkness left, I walked down magnificent hallways to the kitchens. I stopped only once along the way, to take a sconce from the wall to light my path. The only people I met along the way were servants and priests, who bowed to me and murmured, "Your Highness." I ignored them.  
  
As I slowly made my way to the kitchens, turning down one hallway after another, I wondered why is it that I never get lost. I remembered when I was just a young girl my brothers taught me all the hallways so I wouldn't ever lose my way.  
  
Lost in my musings, I was surprised when I reach the kitchens. They seemed out of place: bright, cheerful, and hot- versus my rooms and the halls: cold, dark, frightening.  
  
I acknowledged the Head Cook by ordering, "Get me some bread, wine, and pomegranates!" He swiftly turned to a young boy and instructed him to get the bread from the oven, the wine from the cellar and the pomegranates from the food stores. The boy scuttled off.  
  
In the meantime, I sat down gratefully into one of the chairs. Soon the boy returned, laden with the food. I thanked him by means of a tiny smile. He bowed quickly and jerkily, then disappeared one more into the clamor of the kitchen. I decided to stay in the kitchen for a while, since I didn't exactly relish the thought of going through those dark halls again. So instead I sat and watched all the people work in perfect harmony with each other, preparing food for my family.  
  
I almost regretted it when I finished the food. It was truly excellent!  
  
But as I stood, I felt suddenly weak. I gasped with fear. One of my sisters had been poisoned, and these were the signs: I was there. I found it harder to breathe as I sagged against the wall. The wineglass fell from my hand, shattering into a thousand fragments on the floor below. I tried to stand once more. I managed to pull myself to my feet- but not for long. My knees had completely given up on me, and I collapsed painfully on the cold stone floor. I gave a little moan of terror. Why won't anyone help me? Oh, Isis, protect me, please! But no- even the great goddess Isis could not aid me now. The world was turning black! But through the haze I could see a lone figure standing over me- the High Priest of Set, Amun-hotep! Cruel laughter rang in my ears. I tried to cry out, but no. It was too late, far too late. Now my eyes could see no more, my ears could not hear, my lungs could not breathe. I will never smell the sweet smell of morning, see the priestess of Isis light incense in my honor, never feel cool water on my fingers... I'm dying. My last thought before I died was "Mother won't be pleased I spilled wine on my dress."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 2 ~ Selene  
  
1921 CE, in England:  
  
I woke up just as the sun touches the mountains of my beloved England and sighed. I hate waking up this early! Oh well. I may as well go to the museum and check out a new section they added. So I dressed in a simple lavender dress and dove gray slippers. I combed my auburn hair and pushed it behind my ears. Then I crept down the stairs, as silent as a mouse so as not to wake anybody. The sun was just touching the roofs of the Police Academy where I was studying to become a detective, skilled in forensic sciences.  
  
The museum was already in the sun, bathed in the golden light. I went in and asked the female attendant, "Where is the new section of the museum?" She pointed me to a wing of the place that I had never explored. I thanked her and went in the direction she pointed me to.  
  
The new section turned out to be about Ancient Egypt. There were busts of beautiful women, papyrus paintings of gods and goddesses judging the dead, magnificent sarcophagi, some with wrapped bodies inside, some without. Scrolls made of the reed paper known as papyrus, inscribed with hieroglyphs, were there, as well as simple paintings of men and women together, women making beer, and such. It was glory. I immersed myself in that beauty, that golden beauty of that magnificent empire- loving every single nook and cranny of that area. I wandered around in wonder, only coming out of my trance when I realized I was late for my first class.  
  
I gathered my things, promising a statue of the goddess known as Isis "I'll be back!" For the rest of the day, however, I remembered just how the light fell on a particular sarcophagus made out of gold, splitting into a million fragments, blinding me. Because of this, I got in trouble for not paying attention.  
  
"What's gotten into you, Selene?" one of my professors demanded to know.  
  
I replied, "I suppose I'm just not fully awake yet, Professor Thompson." Classes started soon after dawn, around 7:00 ante meridian.  
  
He shook his head in exasperation. "Ms. Richards, usually you are the most alert, most focused person in this class! Have you been out late?" My fellow students snickered. Crimson with humiliation, I reassured Prof. T that no, I had not been out late, but quite the contrary: I woke up very early.  
  
After that disastrous class (all of the fellow students were asking me "have you been out late?" whenever I yawned) I was not in a very good mood, and growled answers to questions my other professors asked me. I was just waiting for the day to finish so I could go back to the museum- to my Egypt.  
  
I raced into the museum after classes ended for the day, startling the neat old lady at the front desk. I didn't even stop to mutter an apology, as was proper, but instead continued on my wild path to Egypt. Once more the sight of the sun on pure gold dazzled me. I wandered around the room, but then I saw a doorway that turned out to lead to more papyrus accounts. Some were illustrated: an army assembling, men and women dressed in fine white linen attending a banquet, etc. All in all, it amazed me. After I left the museum, I went to a local library and politely asked where their Egyptian section was. The librarian pointed me toward a shadowy section of the library. I thanked him and continued on my way. I was stunned when I arrived at the section: it was stuffed with books! Books were literally falling off the shelves. I quickly browsed through and checked out several books; one was entitled Learning to Read and Write Ancient Egyptian. I thanked the librarian warmly and set out for my dormitory at the Police Academy. I had reading to do!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 3 ~ The Burial  
  
1991 BCE, in Ancient Egypt:  
  
The burial procession of Princess Naunakht was winding its way to the mighty Nile River, where I, Amun-hotep, waited to see the princess off to her final journey.  
  
In the meantime, I could hardly contain my glee. The princess was dead! And I, Amun-hotep, High Priest of Set, will soon kill of the other daughters, then murder the queen regent and become pharaoh!  
  
Of course, I will have to kill the present pharaoh, and his sons, but that will be easy enough considering they are in battle. All I will have to do is bribe one of the warriors in the Egyptian army to kill Pharaoh Amenemhat, then lie in wait for the princes, and then slay them as well.  
  
Currently, though, I must put on a sober face for Naunakht's burial. A beautiful tomb was made for the royal family, of course, as is only proper for the Morning and Evening star, the Pharaoh of Egypt. It already contained one of her sisters, and now Naunakht would join her. She was wrapped in the finest linen, with amulets tucked inside the bandages, and a stunning gold burial mask that was placed on the head.  
  
Before she will be put on the burial vessel, which will carry her to the tomb, I had to perform the Opening of the Mouth ceremony. Traditionally, this was done by the High Priest of Anubis, but since he was killed in a chariot accident not too long ago I had to perform the ceremony. It allowed the Princess to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste in the Afterlife.  
  
Soon after the procession reached the bank of the River Nile. Somberly intoning spells, my faithful priests followed me in my stately walk to the sarcophagus. A young priest of Anubis struggled to rise the coffin upright, finally succeeding and managing to hold it in that position.  
  
I held the adz with which I will revive Naunakht's senses up to the sky. The sun fell on the golden instrument and split, blinding us all for a moment. Then I performed the solemn ceremony.  
  
Afterwards, accompanied by the wailing chorus of professional mourners, priests placed the sarcophagus reverently on the funerary barge. The High Priestess of Isis walked up to the barge and placed a graceful hand on the bow.  
  
In a clear, loud voice she cried out to us all: "We all regret the death of the Princess Naunakht, who was an avid worshipper of all the gods. She never shirked in her duties to them. She never complained about having to travel to Bubastis for the Festival of Cats. She never moaned about having to stand for hours in the rain while a sacrifice was going on, and so much more. Princess Naunakht," and now the wailers resumed their cries, but softly: "we all pray that you will have a joyful Afterlife in the Field of Reeds. To Princess Naunakht I say: Forget us not, and we pray that you will see your beloved sister once more." And with those final words, she pushed the barge into the River Nile.  
  
It floated slowly, serenely, the pilot managing it skillfully. He was obviously either unaware that he will be sacrificed and left in the tomb when it is sealed, or he didn't care. We lost a lot of good boatmen (and servants as well, since the personal servants of the princess are also sacrificed and left in the tomb) that way.  
  
And for now, my troubles are over. I cackled as walk back to my home in the palace. The Princess Naunakht was dead, and I was a step closer in becoming Pharaoh of the greatest empire in the world!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 4 ~ The Tomb  
  
1923 CE, in England:  
  
It's been a month since graduation. I graduated at the top of my class! I now am an official detective, specializing in murders. However, I'm not able to relax just yet. I have been living a double life: study at the Police Academy during the day, going to the School of Egyptology at night. Today is graduation at the School, as well as the last night I will spend in the Academy. Tomorrow the Academy closes for the summer, and we all can go home.  
  
During my last two years at the academy, an entire Egyptian Museum was built next door to the old museum. They connect by a door in the Egyptian room in the old museum. My friends often found me in the Egyptian Museum, reading in the lap of a giant statue of Isis.  
  
Two days later...  
  
I'm all packed and ready to go. At the graduation ceremony, the Head Egyptologist told me that I was to go to Egypt to investigate a tomb.  
  
Before that however, at the actual ceremony, she told the rest of my class, "Selene has been an avid and an interesting student. She always completed her work on time, she has listened wide- eyed to every lecture, and she has never complained about the late-night classes. And that is why we give you, Selene" and she now turned to me, "your diploma which makes you an official Egyptologist, licensed to go into any tomb, every tomb, whenever the need arises. Thank you." And then everyone started clapping, and I turned scarlet with embarrassment and with joy as well.  
  
So now I am going to Egypt. The boat leaves tomorrow, and I have packed all my things. Also with me are non- material items: My love and knowledge of Egypt, the ability to read, write, speak, and translate Ancient Egyptian, and the ability to read, write, and translate hieratic. I already left the Academy and so I spent the last two days in a small hotel.  
  
Three days later...  
  
The boat has almost reached Egypt. I spent the days on the deck reading or just looking out onto the Atlantic Ocean. And now we are sailing into the Mediterranean Sea; in another two days we'll be in Egypt.  
  
Two days later...  
  
Wow! Egypt is even more beautiful than it is in the pictures! I'm amazed! But it's time to get to work. Now I need to get on another boat, which will take me to Cairo where I will learn more about my assignment.  
  
Two days later...  
  
I found myself standing in front of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities. I was a little apprehensive about what I will learn, but I have a duty and I will do it.  
  
I walked in.  
  
The hall was the color of fresh cream, and it was either marble or a very expensive plaster. I suspected the former. The curator's desk, for that was whom I was told to speak with, was through the library.  
  
The curator was a round little man with gray hair and a salt-and-pepper mustache. When I enter the room, he is speaking with a tall person. I enter and say timidly, "Um, are you the curator? Dr. Bey?" They both immediately turned toward me. I could then see the person the doctor was speaking to: a tall, handsome young man.  
  
The curator addressed me: "Are you Selene Richards?"  
  
I answer, "Yes, I am she." Dr. Bey then introduces to me the other man. His name is Rick O'Connell, an American from Chicago. Mr. O'Connell bowed gallantly to me and said,  
  
"Hell-o, ma'am." I blushed and giggled.  
  
Then I noticed the curator staring at me oddly. I turned even redder, then quickly mastered myself and said seriously, "So what exactly am I supposed to do?"  
  
The curator answered, "You are to find and explore the tomb that diggers have discovered. Rick here will help you. Report back to me at 6:00 in the evening."  
  
I thanked him, and Rick and I turned to go. Making a stab at conversation, he asked me, "Uh, so where exactly are you from, Selene?"  
  
"That's Miss Richards to you, Mr. O'Connell, and I am form England," I snapped. I hadn't quite forgiven him for embarrassing me in front of Dr. Bey.  
  
Meekly, he said, "Sorry."  
  
He led me to a Dusenberg convertible and we drove off to the tomb. He seemed to know where he was going, so I didn't say anything throughout the hour- long trip.  
  
After a short ride we arrived at the tomb entrance. I got out of the car rather gracefully, while Mr. O'Connell clambered out clumsily. He handed me a torch and muttered, "I'll, uh, stay out here and make sure no one goes down there while you, uh, go in." I was amused by his fear of a simple tomb and turned to go down the steps after lighting my torch.  
  
It was indeed dark in the tomb, and I had to carefully watch my footing. After I was about halfway down, I heard a noise. I looked up, and then I saw it: a ghost! A giant, white, female spirit who flew at me! I screamed, and screamed, and screamed, then toppled forward. Which was why I didn't see the little ushabti on the next step. I tripped over the tiny faience figure, crashed down the rest of the steps, and then my head connected soundly with the wall. I blacked out immediately.  
  
Mr. O'Connell was outside still, and when he heard shrieks and a crashing noise he ran down the stairs, without a torch. He was yelling "Selene? Selene, where are you!?" Then he saw my crumpled body lying next to the wall. His eyes widened and he rushed over, taking me in his arms. "Selene? Sellie? Are you all right?" Then he felt wetness on his arm, and by the light of my torch, saw what it was: blood. He began to shake. "Aw damn!" He flew up the steps with me still in his arms.  
  
Several hours later...  
  
I came to in a bed in the museum. I moaned and clutched my head, which was throbbing painfully. As soon as he saw me move, Rick came to my bedside.  
  
"Selene? Are you okay?" I didn't answer, just buried my face in my arms and sobbed. "Selene, don't cry! It's all right now, you're safe! Please don't cry!" When I still didn't stop, he sat on the bed next to me and put is arms around me. I wept into his shirt.  
  
"It was awful. She- she- she came and made me fall!"  
  
"Selene, I don't know what happened, but you're safe now. Don't cry anymore, it's okay!" He whispered reassurances while I sobbed. After a while, a very long while to me, I finally calmed down. Rick gave me one last hug around the head and told me that it would be fine and we didn't have to go into the tomb anymore, then left.  
  
I swallowed the last of my sobs, then got up. I went into the bathing room and took careful inventory of my injuries. My head had a large cut on it, which was bandaged with fine white linen. That was my main injury. I had other various cuts and bruises from when I flew into the wall, but other than that I was all right. I dressed in a pale green dress, then went to the library, talking to myself.  
  
"I will go back into that tomb, ghost or not. I don't know who that is, and I don't care. I am an Egyptologist for goodness sake! Some little ghost will not scare me off! Next time I'll just be more careful, that's all." Muttering to myself like this, I slowly made my way to the library. I climbed up a ladder in the corner and sat on the top of the bookshelf, and read more about translating hieroglyphs.  
  
I sat up there for about an hour, and was about to climb down when I heard voices. I scuttled into a dark corner and listened. It was the curator, Dr. Bey, and O'Connell! O'Connell was saying, "I don't know whether we should tell her about that tomb. I mean, she had enough of a scare today when Naunakht's ghost scared her. I don't think she would be able to take the fact that that tomb is cursed."  
  
The doctor replied, "I think you underestimate Selene. The Headmistress of the School in England told me the girl loved to investigate curses and murders, particularly that of Tutankhamun."  
  
I was furious. How dare they talk about me behind my back! I slid down the ladder. The two men turned, looking dismayed. I glared at them, scarlet with fury. "How dare you!" I shrieked at them. "How dare you say that I am not strong enough to know that the tomb is cursed! If I remember correctly, Rick O'Connell, you were too frightened to even go into that tomb! I was the one who went down there! And yet you say I am not strong enough to know about the curse." I turned to the curator.  
  
"Obviously you do not need my services here! I don't need you either! I can manage perfectly on my own!" And I ran out of the museum, tears of rage stinging my eyes.  
  
I didn't look back to see that O'Connell and Dr. Bey were running after me. I leaped into the Dusenberg, revved the engine, and drove quickly to the tomb of the Princess Naunakht.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 5 ~ The Curse of Naunakht  
  
1923 CE, in Egypt:  
  
I drove swiftly to the tomb. Grabbing a torch from the back of the convertible, I lit it and prepared to descend into darkness once more. This time there would be no schoolgirlish screaming! I stopped at the foot of the stairs to read the inscription on the lintel. It read, "Death shall befall anyone who disturbs this tomb! He who disturbs the sacred slumber of Princess Naunakht, second daughter of Amenemhat, the first of that name, shall be sent to the Underworld to have their soul eaten by Ammit, the monster of the dead!" I gulped and thought to myself, "So they were right. Well, I don't believe in curses and hokum like that, so I'll just walk on."  
  
At the museum...  
  
O'Connell was going crazy. "We have to go after her! She could be killed!" Dr. Bey looked at him calmly. "You underestimate Selene Richards. She'll be fine." O'Connell gave the curator a dirty look, then stalked off to his quarters.  
  
At the tomb...  
  
I stopped when I saw the ghost hovering once more. "Who are you?" I asked the apparition in Ancient Egyptian.  
  
"I am Naunakht," she replied. "Who are you, disturbing my slumber!"  
  
My voice trembled as I answered, "Great Princess, I am Selene Richards, an Egyptologist from across the seas, come to investigate your eternal resting place."  
  
The Princess scowled at me.  
  
"Could you maybe, uh, tell me more about yourself and how you, uh, died?" I queried. If looks would kill, I would be dead and gone after the look Naunakht gave me. Then she softened.  
  
"I was murdered."  
  
I gasped. "Murdered? How? By who? Who would dare murder a daughter of the greatest family on earth?"  
  
Now she grinned. "I like you, mortal, for all you disturb my rest." She floated to the ground and became more solid. "I apologize if I scared you earlier." I laughed nervously.  
  
"No, it was no trouble. No trouble at all. I don't mind." She led me to a magnificent sarcophagus.  
  
"This where my earthly remains are kept. I looked into the open lid and gasped. "Every thing is still intact!"  
  
"Well, yes, Se-lene. Do you really think robbers would risk my curse to steal my treasures?" she said, amused. I shook my head in wonder.  
  
"So how were you murdered?" Her face hardened.  
  
"That good-for-nothing priest of Set poisoned my wine one night. I will tell you more tomorrow.  
  
I bowed to her, then turned to leave. I heard her call, and I turned back to the princess. "Here, Se-lene, take this to remember our meeting!" She tossed me a golden figure. I bowed once more, then ran back up the stairs. I sighed as I climbed into the Dusenberg. I was not looking forward to returning to the museum. But then I looked closer at the golden statuette Naunakht had given me. My eyes widened as I saw what it was: a statue of Isis, made out of pure gold, decorated with tiny chips of ruby and emerald. But that wasn't what made my eyes turn huge. On the bottom of the figurine was written: "Don't forget, Se-lene!"  
  
I drove up slowly to the museum, and steeled myself for the wrath of O'Connell and Dr. Bey. I walked in. There was no one there! It's true that it was almost midnight, but it's strange to go to bed so early when a person is missing. I sighed. Now I would have to deal with them in the morning, my least favorite part of the day. I only like the sunrise in the mornings. I guess I'll just have to be patient and not lose my temper again, I thought. I walked into my room.  
  
Again my eyes turned huge as saucers. All my things were gone! Ooh, I'm going to kill them! I marched into O'Connell's room. He wasn't there! I nearly flew down the hallways to the curator's office. "What the hell is going on here?" I was about to ask when what I saw made my demand die in my throat. Instead, out came a bloodcurdling shriek. On the floor lay the curator of the museum, his throat slit. "Oh my God. RICK!!!" I shrieked, and ran down the halls, back in the direction of O'Connell's room.  
  
I looked more carefully this time, and heard sounds coming from the closet. I flung open the door, and nearly fell over as O'Connell's body fell onto me. Then I saw he was alive, only bound and gagged. I grabbed his belt knife and cut the ropes. "Selene?" he asked weakly. I could hardly see through the haze of tears that clouded my eyes. "Selene, what's wrong?" I struggled to hide my tears.  
  
"Dr. Bey is dead," I told him. He turned pale.  
  
"Dr. Bey. dead?" he whispered. How?"  
  
I replied, "He's in his office with his throat slit. I was looking for you and I found him. by the way, where are all my things?" He grinned faintly at that.  
  
"They're in here." He pointed to another closet. "But who could have done such a thing?"  
  
Then I remembered Naunakht saying she was murdered. I gasped. "I'll be right back."  
  
"Wait! Where are you going?"  
  
But I was already gone, racing to the curator's office. I examined the body. There was no mark on him anywhere else except for the fatal cut. Then I saw blood on the floor. It was in a curious shape. I looked closer to it. It was in the shape of an ass's head. I sucked in my breath. "Set," I whispered.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 6 ~ Breaking the Chain  
  
1923 CE, in Egypt:  
  
"So why exactly are we going back in her tomb?" O'Connell asked.  
  
"We need to ask her what exactly the High Priest of Set did after she died," I replied.  
  
"And she would know this how?" I gave him a withering look.  
  
"Just drive."  
  
After I had found the evidence I needed, we had both gotten into the Dusenberg convertible. Then we drove to the tomb. My plan was that I would ask Naunakht what did Amun-hotep do after she died. Spirits often watched over their families, and hopefully she would know what happened. The next part was the most dangerous. I would ask Naunakht to take me back in time to before her murder. I would be a ghost as well, and no one would see me. I would come up behind Amun-hotep, and stab him with a concealed dagger. Hopefully, this would break the chain of murders. However, it was incredibly dangerous because it might cause Rick and I to disappear, to not be born: changing history in this way is terribly unsafe.  
  
"We're here," came the quiet voice of O'Connell. I bit my lip.  
  
"Let's go then."  
  
Before he handed me a torch, O'Connell asked me "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"Oh yes," I replied, my voice shaking. "But you don't have to go in if you don't want to." He smiled gently.  
  
"Of course I'll go in. You could get in so much trouble without me."  
  
"Oh, and you won't?" I asked tartly. But the jab was ruined as tears rolled down my face.  
  
"Here now, what's this?" asked O'Connell.  
  
"I'm scared," I told him quietly. "I don't want to disappear from the face of the earth. I don't want to die!"  
  
He pulled me to him, put his arms around me and confided, "I'm terrified, too. I know it's so dangerous, but I would do anything to help you. So come on and let's get this done with!" I nodded, swallowing my tears.  
  
"I'll go first." He nodded.  
  
"Go ahead."  
  
Holding the figure of Isis out in front of me, I went down the stairs. Rick followed right behind me, holding the torch. "Naunakht?" I called. "Princess Naunakht, are you there?" Her ghost rose up out of the sarcophagus.  
  
"Se-lene?" then her eyes narrowed. "Who is with you?"  
  
"This is Rick. He's. a friend." She nodded once.  
  
"Good. Now, what is your problem?"  
  
"A few hours ago, the curator of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities was murdered. I believe the High Priest of Set, Amun-hotep, murdered him," I said.  
  
Naunakht gasped. "But he murdered me!" I nodded.  
  
"Yes. Now, my plan is." and I told her the plan. Naunakht leaned on her sarcophagus. She was plainly shaken.  
  
"What you ask. do you know how dangerous it is?"  
  
I replied, "Yes. I know quite well thank you. But the question is, could you do it?" The ghost sighed. "Of course I could. And you will go alone or will he come?" I looked at Rick.  
  
"You don't have to come," I whispered. "You've done enough."  
  
"Are you insane? Of course I'll come," he informed me. I smiled in relief. I would feel better if he came. We turned back to Naunakht.  
  
She asked, "Now, which one of you will actually do the deed?"  
  
"I will," I responded.  
  
"All right then. Get ready." A bright white light emanated from her, enveloping Rick and me. Then we disappeared.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 7 ~ Cracking the Links  
  
Ancient Egypt, 1991 BCE:  
  
After we stopped spinning and the world came back into focus, we found ourselves in the courtyard of a temple. All around us were priests with their heads shaved, some with ass masks on their heads, others carrying incense in brass braziers. Outside a door people were milling. They all had heavy black wigs on their heads and wore white linen garments. "Oh my God," I whispered reverently. I looked over at Rick, who too was staring around in wonder. "It worked."  
  
I looked down and discovered a gold dagger in my hand. I sucked in my breath. This is it, I though to myself. I'm going to do it. But somehow I couldn't make my legs move towards the temple grounds. I felt a touch on my arm, and Rick's face came back into my line of vision.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked me.  
  
"Yes. I think. Hurry, before I change my mind."  
  
I heard a voice, and turned toward the sound. It was Amun-hotep. I motioned toward Rick.  
  
"Come on," I whispered. He followed me. I crept up behind Amun-hotep and raised the dagger high. I was shaking in terror. I questioned what I was about to do. Did I really want to risk disappearing from the Earth? Then my face hardened and I plunged the dagger into the High Priest of Set's back.  
  
Or at least I tried to, because I missed when he moved. I flailed my arms around to try to find my balance but to no avail. I landed flat on my face in front of a pedestal, which had a precious vase on it. Unfortunately, when I plunged my dagger down, it knocked over the valuable vase.  
  
It fell with a satisfying crash, but a crash nonetheless. I yelped; terrified I would be discovered.  
  
All around me, priests were howling and yelling. One voice came clear through the din: "This is a terrible omen! The High Priest must have done something terrible for the gods to try to take his life." But before he could continue, Amun-hotep threw a dagger that landed square in the speaker's throat. I gasped with horror.  
  
Then I felt a hand on my ankle, pulling me away. I looked back in fright. It was only Rick, and he was saying, "Come on! Let's get out of here!" I gladly followed him out of the crowd.  
  
"What did you do?" he demanded of me. "How could you miss! He was two feet in front of you!" He grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me. I tried to say something, but I couldn't since my head was being shaken back and forth. Finally he let go of me. I stumbled, my head still reeling.  
  
I glared at Rick. "I tried to, only he moved! You didn't seriously think I missed on purpose did you? I want to go home just as much as you do." I scowled at him, furious.  
  
"All right, all right, I'm sorry," he said. "So go find him and don't miss this time! Oh, and Selene." he grabbed my arm when I turned to leave. He stared at me, then hugged me tight. "Be careful," he whispered, at kissed me gently. I don't want anything to happen to you," he said softly. "At least not while I can help it." He grinned at me, then pushed me in the direction of Amun-hotep.  
  
I crept over to where the high priest was standing. I took a firmer grip on the jewel-encrusted dagger, then walked on. I looked back only once, and saw Rick looking at me fondly. I summoned up a weak smile, then continued. Amun-hotep was sitting on a gold chair in the shade, by a little pond.  
  
I sneaked around the back of the chair, just as he got up. "Damn," I said to myself. I walked back around the edge of the chair. Tiptoeing behind the priest, I raised my dagger high. When he stopped, I did also. He turned around just then, but my dagger was already coming down, and it found its mark right in the beating heart of the High Priest of Set, Amun-hotep.  
  
The world started spinning and everything was turning white. "That's funny. Isn't it supposed to turn black when you die?" I thought to myself. Then I saw Rick, reaching out a hand to me. I grabbed him and we held each other close as we collapsed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Chapter 8 ~ The End of the Journey  
  
1923 CE, in Egypt:  
  
I came to in the tomb. On the floor, in gold, was written 'Thank you.' I started laughing. It had worked! It had worked! "Rick! Rick!" I cried out happily. Then I saw he wasn't there. "Rick? Where are. oh no. Please. no!" I wailed as the full truth of what must have happened hit me. I stayed alive while Rick disappeared from the face of the earth! My elation waned as quickly as it had come. "No. Oh gods, why? Why did you choose me? Why. why?"  
  
"Why what?" Came a voice. I turned towards the noise.  
  
"Rick!"  
  
He grinned. I started laughing. "It worked! It worked! And we're still alive!" He grabbed me and swung me around. We were both laughing like little children.  
  
"Princess Naunakht died normally, and Amenemhat stayed Pharaoh," Rick told me. I beamed. "Let's go back to the museum, Selene. Let's see if the curator is alive- or even here," he suggested, a little nervously.  
  
"Yes, let's- but I have a feeling Dr. Bey definitely will be there- and give us both a whack on the head for going into the tomb without asking him first!" I said, smiling. He grinned at me, then swung me around once more, and kissed me.  
  
"Come on, Sellie. Let's go home." He kissed me again. I laughed and said,  
  
"Why? We have plenty of time." And then chuckled wickedly at his reaction. My laughter was contagious, and soon we were both laughing hard, in relief and joy that now the murders would stop, and that my plan had worked, as well as the fact that we were still both alive. A while later, we walked out of Naunakht's tomb and out back into the world. Rick turned me around to face him, kissed me deeply and told me softly,  
  
"Let's go home, Selene- back to our home."  
  
I guess it was an adventure, at that.  
  
Finis 


	2. Some Things Just Can't Be Changed

Some Things Just Can't Be Changed  
  
Selene and I went to Hamunaptra, the City of the Dead, on a dig. She is the most beautiful person I have ever seen.  
  
Or at least she was.  
  
We had been digging around the edges of the city, trying to find more about the legend.  
  
"Rick! Rick, I found something!" I hurried over to her. We had been searching for days, with no success. We had found some small buildings near the gates, and Selene had thought it would be a good idea to explore them.  
  
"What did you find?" The sunlight glinted of her engagement ring. I had given it to her before we left Cairo.  
  
"I found some inscriptions. It tells about 'He That Shall Not be Named'." She began to read the hieroglyphs  
  
" 'There is one, the un-dead, who, if brought back to life, shall kill all who open the chest.' What chest? Oh-the chest with the books, maybe-'He shall consummate their organs and fluids, and no longer be the un-dead, but a plague upon this earth.' Goodness, this sounds like a curse."  
  
She looked a little frightened. I kissed her, wondering if there really was an un-dead-thing.  
  
After discovering this, we went back to our tents. It was getting late, and we wanted to wrap it up and continue the next day.  
  
In the middle of the night, Selene and I were still up and talking. All of a sudden, I heard horses' hooves. And then all hell broke loose.  
  
Warriors flooded our camp, swarming like ants. Ants with guns. Before I realized it, they were burning our tents and papers. Selene shrieked and ran to save some of the ancient papyrus-but she was stopped by a warrior on a particularly fine horse.  
  
He brutally cut her down and she fell, bleeding from the huge gash in her chest. I screamed her name, but no sound came out of my mouth.  
  
Another of the warriors shot her. The one who had cut her shouted something in Arabic, then they all left.  
  
"Oh my God, Selene, Selene-" I cradled her in my arms. She was dying; the blood was flowing too fast to be stopped.  
  
"Rick-don't-let-them-don't-Rick-" She shuddered, shaking madly. "I-love- you." her head rolled back on her neck and she was dead.  
  
I went back to Cairo the next day, numb. I had buried Selene by the building with the inscription. Close to it, I found a small black box with a map that led to Hamunaptra. I spit on the ground but took the box with me.  
  
I only remember getting drunk at the kasbah. Then I must have passed out. When I awoke, I knew the box was gone.  
  
Before I had passed out, I had been talking to one Jonathan Carnahan, a forty-ish Britisher who had one hell of a capacity for drink. I didn't even wonder if he had anything to do with the box's disappearance.  
  
I was furious at the box being gone and roared like a lion. I attacked the person nearest to me, finally letting out my anger and fury at Selene's death.  
  
The next thing I knew, I was arrested.  
  
A week or so later, I was pushed out into the visiting pen to see the most beautiful woman I had seen in days. She was even more beautiful than my darling Sellie.  
  
And all I could say was, "Hey, who's the broad?"  
  
She looked highly offended. "Broad?" Her brother-I could only assume that was who the man was; they didn't look much alike but I had a feeling he wasn't her lover or husband-introduced her as his sister, Evy.  
  
The man looked awfully familiar.suddenly I realized who he was and punched him square in the jaw.  
  
His sister stepped over his prone body, coming right up to me, eyes shining with the information I had just given her.  
  
"You were actually at Hamunaptra," she said.  
  
I grinned at her; my first smile in days. "Yeah, I was there."  
  
"You swear," she said, narrowing her eyes.  
  
"Every damn day," I said flippantly. She blushed slightly.  
  
"That's not what I meant-"  
  
"I know what you meant. I was there. Seti's place, City of the Dead." I waved my hands around to indicate ghosts.  
  
Her face lit up. "Could you-could you show me how to get there?" I raised my eyebrows. Was this woman mad? "I mean, the exact location."  
  
"You wanna know?" She nodded. "C'mere." She came closer and I kissed her full on the lips. "Then get me the hell out of here!"  
  
And that's how I ended up going with Evelyn Carnahan, her brother, and the prison warden to the City of the Dead.again.  
  
I guess some things just can't be changed. 


End file.
